Thermocompression bonding with passivated silver-based contacting metal

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for low-force, low-temperature thermocompression bonding. The present application teaches new methods and structures for three-dimensional integrated circuits, in which cold thermocompression bonding is used to provide reliable bonding. To achieve this, reduction and passivation steps are preferably both used to reduce native oxide on the contact metals and to prevent reformation of native oxide, preferably using atmospheric plasma treatments. Preferably the physical compression height of the elements is set to be only enough to reliably achieve at least some compression of each bonding element pair, compensating for any lack of flatness. Preferably the thermocompression bonding is performed well below the melting point. This not only avoids the deformation of lower levels which is induced by reflow techniques, but also provides a steep relation of force versus z-axis travel, so that a drastically-increasing resistance to compression helps to regulate the degree of thermocompression.

CROSS-REFERENCE

Priority is claimed from 61/604,162 filed Mar. 4, 2012, which is herebyincorporated by reference.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 12/837,751filed Jul. 16, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to 3D interconnect bonding of multiplechips, and more particularly to reliable 3D interconnect bonding ofmultiple chips without solder reflow.

Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gainedfrom the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to beprior art.

Metallic contact flip-chip interconnect bonding techniques are currentlyunder development in the semiconductor integration and packagingindustry to enable vertical stacking of multiple dice with high densityinterconnects between each subsequent die in the vertical stack. This isreferred to in the semiconductor industry as “3D Packaging” or “3DIC”.

Conventional “flip-chip” reflow solder bonding techniques are currentlybeing used to align and then fuse solder connections between facingchips by melting solder bumps to form an electrical and mechanicalconnection between the chips. This has been accomplished in commercialproduction for many years in the mounting of single chips to circuitboards and in the bonding of two facing chips to each other.

The present application teaches that a problem arises, however, when athird or subsequent chip is to be added vertically or horizontally to analready reflowed chip assembly. When the additional solder connectionsare reflowed (melted), the original solder connections are also melted,leaving the whole stack susceptible to loss of original alignment,parallelism, and contact.

This problem is compounded further if multiple stacked-chip groups areto be assembled, one at a time, onto a single substrate. In this case,each previous stack is also subjected to the same de-stabilizing effectsof re-melting the previously-made solder connections.

The long-term heating of multiple assemblies during subsequent chipadditions can also lead to degradation of heat-sensitive circuitcomponents and materials.

If the stacked chips are of differing materials such that theircoefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) varies from chip to chip, thedifferential expansion and contraction between die during the thermalcycling associated with repeated solder reflow cycles can furtherexacerbate alignment, parallelism, interconnect, and reliability issues.

If one or more of the earlier-assembled components has a natural bow ornon-flatness, subsequent melting can allow the non-flat component toseek its original shape, thus causing previously good inter-componentbonds to separate. Cycling the temperature of components during bondingalso consumes process time, reduces throughput, and consumes preciousenergy resources.

Also, when chips of differing CTE are cycled above the melting point ofthe solder and then returned to below the melting point, there is abuilt-in stress induced between the two components. This stress isproportional to the temperature swing between melting point temperatureand any reduced temperature of the chip assembly. This built-in stresscan lead to reliability issues due to fatigue of stressed componentsduring subsequent thermal cycling of remaining manufacturing steps, orin actual use of the components. Reducing the bonding temperature (astaught by the present application) has a directly beneficial effect onreducing this built-in stress fatigue failure mechanism.

SUMMARY

The present application relates to 3D bonding of multiple chips,including e.g. complex logic, power switching devices, optoelectronicemissions devices, imaging chips, MEMS, and other types of chips.

The present application teaches that stacks of three or more chips canbe made without using reflow techniques. A cold temperature, well belowthe melting point of the relevant conductive vertical connectionmaterial, permits the (N+1)th chip to be added without disrupting thebonding of the Nth chip. In preferred implementations of this, oxidereduction and/or passivation steps are used to avoid native oxide andimprove the adhesion and specific conductance of each interconnect.Since the height of the bump is not controlled by fluidic forces, as inreflow soldering, the height of the interconnect can be more directlycontrolled by the applied bonding force. Thus by using reduction and/orpassivation in combination with controlled bond height and coldassembly, a far more scalable process for 3D assembly is provided.

The disclosed innovations, in various embodiments, provide one or moreof at least the following advantages. However, not all of theseadvantages result from every one of the innovations disclosed, and thislist of advantages does not limit the various claimed inventions.

-   -   Low-temperature assembly of chip stacks without solder reflow.    -   High reliability and alignment accuracy.    -   Broad assembly design flexibility.    -   Reduced energy expenditure.    -   Reduced thermal cycling during the 3D bonding processes, which        avoids residual built-in stress forces in the finished product,        and can improve reliability of the final product.    -   Better control of bump compression and lateral squeeze-out.    -   Higher process throughput.    -   Equivalent bonding stability to conventional methods with much        less compression force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed inventions will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which show important sample embodiments and whichare incorporated in the specification hereof by reference, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows one sample embodiment of the present inventions.

FIGS. 2A-2C show an example of a prior art bonding method.

FIGS. 3A-3C show an example of an unfavorable bonding method.

FIGS. 4A-4D show one sample embodiment of the innovative methods of thepresent inventions.

FIGS. 5A-5B show close views of two different bonding interfaces.

FIG. 6 shows one sample embodiment of a stack assembled by the presentinnovative methods.

FIG. 7 shows some experimental data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will bedescribed with particular reference to presently preferred embodiments(by way of example, and not of limitation). The present applicationdescribes several inventions, and none of the statements below should betaken as limiting the claims generally.

The present inventions teach a unique combination of materials andbonding techniques, including some or all of: (1) deformable metallicbumps of specialized metallurgy, (2) specialized surface preparation(preferably e.g. reduction and passivation) of bumps and/or contactsprior to bonding, and (3) specialized chip-to-substrate and/orchip-to-chip bonding parameters. This combination allows multiple chipstacks to be assembled at reduced temperatures (below the melting pointof the solder) without the need for subsequent reflow, while maintaininghigh reliability, high alignment accuracy, broad assembly designflexibility, reduced energy expenditure, and higher process throughput.

The present application teaches that reliable bonds can be formed withsignificantly less force than conventional methods. Without the surfacepreparation methods of the present application, bumps must be compressedto at most half their original height to achieve a reasonable bond. Abump with an initial height of 10 microns will have a final height nogreater than 5 microns. With the present inventive methods, reliablebonds can be achieved when bumps and contacts only just touch.Deformation can ideally be e.g. 25%, so that a bump with an initialheight of 10 microns can have a final height of e.g. 7.5 microns.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a 3D packaging multi-layer assembly ofchips which is possible with the present innovative methods. Passivationlayer 113 is formed on bumps 109 and (not shown) on contact pads 103after removal of surface oxidation. Chips 101, 105, 117, and 123 aresequentially aligned and bonded at a temperature below the meltingpoints of bumps 109 and contact pads 103. The metallic compositions ofbumps 109 and contact pads 103 are selected so that bumps 109 can deformat the bonding temperatures. This permits each subsequent chip 127 to bebonded atop stack 125 without the need to subject stack 125 topotentially damaging high temperatures and repeated thermal cyclingassociated with solder reflow.

FIG. 2A shows bump 209 (which can be e.g. a bump of solder) ready forcold compression (below the melting point of the bump material) intoopposing contact pad 203. Note that this is a zoomed-in view of a singlebump, so that chips 201 and 205 can be e.g. sections of chips 101 and105 from FIG. 1. The surface of the contact pad 203 has been exaggeratedin these drawings to illustrate the micro-roughness typical of thin-filmcontact metal deposition encountered in semiconductor processing.

FIG. 2B shows a stage in attempting to compress a hard solder bump 209Ainto the contact pad morphology—there is little actual surface contactbetween hard bump 209A and contact pad 203 except for at the peaks ofthe contact metal surface. If insufficient force is applied or thetemperature is too low to permit appropriate deformation of the bump209A into the contact pad 203, the process will halt at this stage,resulting in a weak or failed bond.

In contrast, FIG. 2C shows the intimate and continuous connection thatcan be achieved between bump 209B and contact pad 203 under the properconditions. If the metallic composition of the bump 209B allows it to bedeformed into the micro-morphology of the contact pad 203 at the bondingtemperature, which is preferably significantly below its melting point,bonding can properly continue past the first contact stage shown in FIG.2B. This can permit significantly better mechanical and electricalconnection than can be achieved with hard solder bump 209A.

The integrity of this contact is comparable to that achieved bytraditional reflow methods, which melt the solder to allow it to flowinto the microstructure of the contact. However, by appropriateselection of deformable solder composition, melting of the solder is notnecessary to achieve adhesion and conduction comparable to a melted(reflowed) connection.

Comparison of FIGS. 2B and 2C illustrates the importance of deformationand conformality of the bump material. The better the unmelted bump canconform (under pressure) to the topography of the opposing surface, thegreater the contact area between the two surfaces. This increasedintimate contact area enhances the adhesion/cohesion of the bump to theopposing contact surface. This also permits more efficient and directinter-diffusion of contact metal species on each side of the contact (ifinter-metallic formation is desired).

As discussed below, careful selection of bump metal and opposing contactmetal can maximize the integrity of the joint by maximizing intimateinterfacial contact area, taking into account how much deformation isrequired for the specific surface morphology of a particular contactmetal surface.

For example, plated nickel as a contact metal pad has relatively highsurface morphology. Choosing a softer bump material (i.e. one havinglower Young's modulus), for example indium, can be advantageous toachieve greater intimate contact area.

In the case of certain metal combinations (e.g. silver-to-tin orindium-to-silver), the intimate contact also enables more completeinter-diffusion of opposing metals. This generally promotes a strongerbond between the two which has higher-temperature-stability.

However, the deformability of the bumps is not sufficient to providereliable, low-resistance contact within the bump-to-pad interface.Native oxides can often grow on metal bumps and pads when exposed toroom air for even a short time period. These oxidation layers can and doinhibit metallurgical bonding of bump metal to contact metal.

This oxide inhibition can manifest in weak mechanical integrity of thebond, increased electrical resistance across the bump-to-pad interface,and inhibited intermetallic alloying. All of these phenomena can havenegative effects on device reliability and performance. Therefore, totake advantage of the deformability of e.g. softer solders, theoxidation must be removed from the mating metal surfaces (usually bothbump and contact) prior to compression bonding.

In FIG. 3A, chips 201 and 205 are to be bonded by compressing solderbump 309 into contact pad 203. Note particularly native oxide layer 311in place on the surface of bump 309 prior to compression bonding.

In FIG. 3B, the inhibiting layer of oxide 311 remains between the bumpmetal 309 and contact pad 203, causing increased contact resistance andseverely reduced adhesion between the two.

FIG. 3C shows ready separation of bump 309 from contact pad 203 at theoxide interfacial layer 311. In a practical electronic device, thistypically constitutes a failure of the overall device.

Without proper removal of metallic oxides which naturally form on thesemetallic bumps and/or contacts, the deformed bump will not be able toadhere to its opposing surface, electrical/mechanical connectionintegrity will be poor, and interdiffusion will be impeded.

There are numerous methods for removing native oxides prior to bonding.These can include acid etching, fluxing, exposure to reducing vaporssuch as formic acid, high-temperature treatment with Forming Gas, andvacuum system treatments such as reactive-ion-etch, ion milling, orback-sputtering.

Each of these methods for removing native oxides has its attendingadvantages and drawbacks. One notable drawback of all of these processesis the re-growth of oxidation on the surface as soon as the removalprocess stops. This re-oxidation is made worse if the subsequent bondingprocess requires elevated temperatures.

Parent application U.S. Ser. No. 12/837,751 taught novel methods ofremoving this oxide layer and preventing further oxidation by applyingreducing and passivating agents via a plasma applicator operating underambient atmospheric conditions. The plasma applicator can be, forexample, a moving plasma applicator head which operates undersubstantially ambient atmospheric pressure and temperature. Oneadvantage of these methods is that no vacuum chamber or othercontainment chamber is needed, though they are of course not limited bythe presence of such a containment chamber. An atmospheric plasma sourcewith specialized chemistry can both reduce native oxides from thesurface of metals and create a very thin passivating layer on thede-oxidized metal surface.

This passivation layer can inhibit re-oxidation for long periods andelevated temperatures. This can be used to form a thin passivation layerover a deformable metallic bump or metallic contact. This passivationlayer inhibits oxide formation, but is easily disintegrated whencompression bonding occurs. The reduction and passivation can beperformed simultaneously or sequentially, as desired or appropriate.

The passivation layer is most preferably so thin that it disintegrateswith the slightest amount of contact force between bump and pad, andtherefore does not affect the quality of the bond. This can provide anideal surface for both the deformable bump and opposing contact suchthat a strong metallurgical and electrical bond can be made. The bond isenhanced by the increased contact surface area of the deformable bumpand by unimpeded intermetallic alloying.

The surface preparation step allows the deformable bumps to gainintimate metallurgical connection with the opposing contact surface andcreate a highly adhesive, conductive, and diffusible connection.

FIGS. 4A-4D show one sample embodiment of the present innovative bondingmethods. In FIG. 4A, chip 201 is to be bonded to chip 205. Metallic bump309 has been formed on chip 205. Note that a layer of native oxide 311has formed on bump 309. While no such oxide layer is explicitly shown oncontact pad 203, most contact metals will also develop native oxidelayers. The reduction and passivation processes applied to bumps canthus also be applied to contacts as appropriate.

In FIG. 4B, oxide layer 311 has been removed, and a passivation coating413 has been formed on the surface of bump 309 to prevent formation ofany further oxide. This is most preferably by an atmospheric plasmatreatment for reduction and passivation as taught in parent applicationSer. No. 12/837,751.

In FIG. 4C, bump 309 has been compressed into contact pad 203, bondingchips 201 and 205 without heating the system to the melting point ofeither bump 309 or contact pad 203. A subsequent chip can then be bondedto chip 205 by repeating the steps of FIGS. 4A-4C with contact pad 415,on the other side of chip 205 from bump 309.

This can be seen in e.g. FIG. 4D, where chip 417 is being bonded to thestack formed by chips 201 and 205. The steps of FIGS. 4A-4D can berepeated as many times as desired to construct multi-chip stacks ofarbitrary size.

Most preferably, the passivation layer is not really a film on thesurface. Rather, it can, for example, be one or two atomic layers ofe.g. nitrogen atoms that are attached to the dangling bonds of themetal's top atomic layer. The binding energy of a nitrogen-metal bond isenough to resist normal exposure to atmospheric oxygen. There is notnormally enough thermodynamic incentive for the metal to let go of thenitrogen and extract an oxygen atom from an O₂ molecule.

However, during the actual bonding, the surfaces of the bump and contactare being ground together not unlike a glacier over granite. Themedium-strength nitrogen-metal bonds are “scrubbed” away, and the morethermodynamically favorable metal-to-metal bonds are readily formed. The“scrubbed” nitrogen will likely sit as atomic interstitials in the metalatomic lattice structure near the metal interface. These nitrogen atomsscattered in the metallic lattice will have insignificant effect on thestrength of the new bond.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the effect that the passivation layer canhave on metal-metal contact. FIG. 5A shows a zoomed-in view of aninterface between a bump 509 and a contact pad 503 which have beenbonded using the methods of the present application. Bump 509 has beentreated to remove native oxides and to form a passivation layer 513. Atthe interface between bump 509 and contact pad 503, passivation layer513 has disintegrated into atomic interstitials 519, which haveessentially no effect on metal-metal bonds.

In contrast to FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B shows an equivalent interface in whichbump 509 has not been passivated, and thus retains native oxide layer511, which can be e.g. 50 monolayers thick. At the interface betweenbump 509 and contact pad 503, oxide layer 511 has, in places, fractured,forming oxide “plates” 521. While some small amount of metal-metalbonding can occur at the breaks in the oxide plates 521, this minimalcontact does essentially nothing to prevent the separation of bump 509from contact pad 503, as illustrated by e.g. FIG. 3C.

The use of specialized bonding parameters in the present applicationpermits essentially unlimited vertical stacks of chips (or othermicroelectronic elements), as seen in e.g. FIG. 6, and unlimitedhorizontal arrays of chip stacks on a given substrate, without the needfor solder reflow and all the attendant drawbacks thereof. Thesespecialized chip-to-substrate and chip-to-chip bonding parametersinclude (i) temperature control, (ii) alignment control of thecomponents to be bonded in X,Y, rotation and parallelism, and (iii)controlled force/time bonding profile of each component to the next,such that melting of the solder never has to take place, and yet strong,stable, conductive connections are permanently made.

Temperature control is important, because it, along with hybrid force,will determine the extent of solid-state deformation of the bump intothe contact, which, in turn, determines the security of the bump-to-padbond. Note that, in some sample embodiments, temperature control canmean room temperature. In some sample embodiments, the bondingtemperature can preferably be held in the range of e.g. 10-30° C.

Each candidate bump metal/alloy has its own unique sub-melt-temperaturedeformation characteristic as a function of force and temperature. Theselection of the bump and pad metals will depend largely on therequirements of the final assembly.

If the components are fragile or cannot withstand any heating in thebonding process, a bump of indium against a pad of nickel can beadvantageous. This bond can be made at room temperature and modestforce, without disturbing the sensitive mechanical or thermal nature ofthe chips. Indium metal in the room temperature range of 10-30° C. hasideal compression properties, and deforms readily to the microstructureof an opposing nickel contact with minimal force (on the order of 0.1-3grains per bump, depending on bump size).

In some applications, this can be satisfactory, even though theindium/nickel bond is only stable up to the melting temperature ofindium at 156° C. For higher-temperature durability of the bond, atin-silver alloy bump against a copper contact is a more rigid bondwhich can survive temperatures up to 240° C., but must be bonded withmore force and temperature in order to achieve sufficient solid-statedeformation of the tin-silver bump into the copper pad.

This SnAg-to-Cu bond, when performed in the range of e.g. 170 C-190° C.,can have the deformability needed to conform to the microstructure ofthe opposing metal pad with reasonable force (on the order of 0.5-10grains per bump, depending on bump size).

Alignment control can consist of X-Y alignment, parallelism, and finalgap between the chips being bonded. Precise control of these parametersis critical in order to achieve a uniform amount of deformation acrossall of the bumps on the chips to be bonded, thereby creating a uniformstrength of bond across the chip.

For example, there have been 3D designs discussed in the literaturewhich have 5 micron diameter bumps on 8 micron centers. An X-Ymisalignment of only 3 microns can cause bridging and a failed assembly.

Likewise, typical Z-compression on such small interconnects can be aslittle as 3 microns. A variation of only 1 micron in parallelism acrossa given chip pair will amount to a 33% variation in compression acrossthe area of the chips. These very tight tolerances require specialconsiderations during the alignment and bonding process, since they caneasily be overwhelmed by mechanical tolerances in the bonding equipment.

One of these mechanical tolerance issues is alignment shift and driftinduced in the bonding equipment by the bonding temperature itself. Thelower the bonding temperature, and the less thermal excursion requiredduring the bond, the better the alignment tolerances can be held by thebonder. This is a major benefit of the present inventions.

The force/time bonding profile is also critical to the success ofsmall-tolerance stacked bonds. When force is ramped too quickly, linearplastic flow regimes are exceeded in the bump metal. This can result in“slip” of alignment and excessive concentration of transient forces intothe underlying semiconductor materials. This can, in turn, result inlattice defects and even cracking, which will reduce product yield.

Since several layers of chips will be stacked upon each othersequentially, care must be taken to not exceed the “per bump” forcesused in previous bonds. If this force is exceeded, it can cause thoseprevious bonds to over-compress or shift.

The ideal amount of compression force will be just enough to achieve anunvoided “footprint” of the bump on the pad. Too little compression, andthere can be voids that reduce the effective contact area and thus thestrength of the bond. Too much compression, and the bump can beoversqueezed to the point of intra-bump shorting, or excessive stress tothe underlying or overlying chip.

The diameter and shape of the bump can be adjusted to reduce the amountof force required to achieve an unvoided footprint: smaller bumpdiameter, or higher aspect ratio of height to diameter, can decrease theamount of force required to compress the deformable bump.

Within the mechanical and thermal restrictions of the chips beingassembled, appropriate combinations of bump and landing pad metals canbe chosen. The general choices of deformable bump materials can include,but are not limited to, indium, silver, gold, tin, lead, gallium,bismuth, antimony, aluminum, and alloys of these elements which are oflow enough Young's modulus to be sufficiently deformable at temperaturesbetween room temperature and the metal's melting point.

The lower the Young's modulus of a given bump metal, the more suitedthat bump metal can be for mechanically sensitive die such as compoundsemiconductors. In one sample embodiment, indium bumps can be used foran HgCdTe detector chip in order to avoid stress/strain issues in thatsensitive II-VI material system.

Metals having lower Young's modulus tend to have lower melting points.Pure indium can be unsuitable for bonding applications where theassembly is subsequently subjected to temperatures in excess of 156° C.(melting point of indium). An alloy of indium with silver will have ahigher melting temperature than will pure indium.

For example, a 10% addition of silver to indium will increase themelting temperature to 237° C. Along with that increase in silvercontent comes an increase in Young's modulus. This, in turn, increasesthe amount of force per unit area required to deform the bump into themicro-structure of the opposing metal landing pad. This provides anexample of the kind of trade-off which must be made in the choice ofbump metal.

Likewise, the opposing landing pad to which the bump is to be bonded canbe carefully chosen to fit the restrictions of the chip upon which it ispatterned and the metallurgy of the opposing bump. In the case of anindium bump, nickel can be an appropriate choice of contact metal.Nickel generally has a larger grain structure into which to deform theindium, and is also metallurgically compatible with indium. Thin,stable, robust intermetallics are formed between indium and nickel,which can actually enhance the bonding between the two metals.

Conversely, the choice of gold as a landing pad for indium can be ahazardous one. The fragile nature of certain gold/indium intermetallicscan have a deleterious effect on bond reliability.

The landing pad can also consist of a metal which alloys (after thebond) in a complementary manner with the opposing bump. An indium bumpcan be bonded with a silver landing pad, wherein the indium bump is softenough to conform intimately to the silver pad. Once intimate contact isformed, the silver and indium will solid-state-alloy with each other toform an intermetallic alloy, which has a much higher melting point thanthe original indium bump.

This bi-metallic bonding technique is fairly common knowledge inflip-chip bonding technology, but the employment of the presentinventions within the enhancements provided by the innovative methods ofthe present inventions enables a higher-quality bond at sub-reflowtemperatures.

Reduction and passivation steps have a surprising effect on gold-goldbonds. While it is generally widely believed that gold does not oxidize,the present inventor has discovered that this is not the case. Goldgenerally forms a layer of oxide 1-1.5 monolayers thick. This nativeoxide layer inhibits gold-gold bonding to a startling, and previouslyunknown, degree. Using the innovative methods of the presentapplication, gold-gold bonds can be formed at temperatures of 100° C.with relatively little force. If the reduction and/or passivation stepstaught by the present application are omitted from the process,gold-gold bonds must be formed at temperatures above 350° C. with twicethe compression force.

In one experiment, the surface preparation steps of the presentapplication were omitted, and gold pads were bonded to gold pads at atemperature of 200° C. This yielded very poor adhesion between goldpads, even though significant visual pad-to-pad compression was present.By contrast, sister dice treated with the surface preparation processesof the present application and bonded under identical conditions yieldedremarkable gold-to-gold adhesion. Pull-apart tests showed metallurgicaltensile rupture within the gold bulk, and adhesion was so good that manygold bond pads were ripped away from the substrate, taking chunks ofunderlying silicon with them.

The teachings of the present application are in contrast to traditionalassembly techniques, where each successive layer is reflow-bonded to thetop of the stack. Such repeated iterations of thermal cycling up to themelting point of the solder can be detrimental to previous solderjoints, due to re-melting and/or thermal expansion stresses betweenchips. This can lead to loss of alignment between chips,over-compression of bumps, fatigue stresses in the bumps, contacts, andsemiconductor chips, loss of inter-chip parallelism, delamination ofcontact layers, and/or opening of previously secure connections.Therefore, the present inventions enable low range thermal cycle, andeven thermal-cycle-free, precision assembly of multiple layers and/orstacks of chips.

Using conventional solder reflow, the reflowed solder columns aredefined by fluid forces, based on the volume of solder relative toadhesion and surface tension of the melted solder. Once the solder isformed and melted, the user has no control over the column formation.The present application can allow the user much greater control over theformation of contacts.

Following are some experimental results. Note that the bonding forcesare given in units of grains-force per square micron of compression area(gf/μm²), where 1 gf=9.807 mN.

First Example

SnAg bumps (3.5% Ag) are bonded to copper pads (or Cu pillars) at anelevated temperature below the melting point, in a process typical of anelevated temperature (but still below the melting point) bond, asfollows. The cell pitch is 20 μm and the bonding force is 0.0068 gf/μm².

1. Substrate 1 is patterned with copper contact pads using e.g. typicalindustry-standard bump plating techniques.

2. Substrate 2 is patterned on one side with copper posts capped withSnAg. Pre-bond reflow can be performed to round the SnAg cap, ifdesired, but this is not necessary for the process to work. The backside of the same substrate is patterned with copper pads which can beconnected to chip circuitry (with, for example, “through-silicon vias”(TSV)).

3. Substrate 3 is fabricated in a manner similar to Substrate 2 (SnAg/Cubumps on one side and copper pads on the other side.)

4. Atmospheric plasma treatment removes oxide from the copper pads ofsubstrate 1 and then passivates them against re-oxidation.

5. Atmospheric plasma treatment removes oxide from the SnAg bumps onSubstrate 2 and then passivates them against re-oxidation.

6. Substrate 1 and substrate 2 are placed face-to-face (SnAg bump tocopper pad) in a flip-chip bonder and aligned. Appropriate force (0.0068gf/μm²) is applied and the assembly is heated to 180° C., and thesoftened SnAg bumps compress into the copper pads. Instant SnAg-copperadhesion can be achieved.

7. The bonded 1-2 assembly is removed from the flip-chip bonder and istreated with atmospheric plasma on the face-up side of former substrate2 (copper pads) as in step 4 above.

8. Substrate 3 is treated with atmospheric plasma on the SnAg bump sideas in step 5 above.

9. Substrate 1-2 and substrate 3 are placed face-to-face (SnAg bump tocopper pad) in a flip-chip bonder and aligned. Appropriate force (0.0068gf/μm²) is applied and the assembly is heated to 180° C., and thesoftened SnAg bumps compress into the copper pads. Instant SnAg-copperadhesion can be achieved without disturbing the previously-made bondbetween substrates 1 and 2.

10. This procedure can be repeated for each subsequent chip to bestacked on the 3D structure. Following attachment of the final chip inthe stack, the whole assembly can be reflowed, if desired, althoughreflow is not typically required.

Second Example

The second example is generally similar to the first example above,except that the copper pads are replaced with nickel pads.

Third Example

The third example is generally similar to the first example, except thatthe SnAg bumps are replaced with SnAgCu (SAC) bumps (SAC 305), the cellpitch is 25 μm, the bonding force is 0.0070 gf/μm², and the bonding isperformed at a temperature of 210° C.

Fourth Example

The fourth example is generally similar to the third example, exceptthat the copper pads are replaced with nickel pads.

Fifth Example

The fifth example is generally similar to the first example, except thatthe SnAg bumps are replaced with bumps of tin, the bonding force is0.0044 gf/μm², and the cell pitch is 10 μm. A bonding profile for such abond is shown in FIG. 7.

Sixth Example

The sixth example is generally similar to the fifth example, except thatthe copper pads are replaced with bumps of tin.

Seventh Example

The seventh example is generally similar to the fifth example, exceptthat the copper pads are replaced with pads of nickel, and the cellpitch is 15 μm.

Eighth Example

The eighth example is generally similar to the first example, exceptthat the bumps of SnAg are replaced with pads of evaporated gold, thecopper pads are replaced with pads of evaporated gold, the reduction andpassivation steps are simultaneous for each surface, the bonding isperformed at a temperature of 100° C., the cell pitch is 15 μm, and thebonding force is 0.0031 gf/μm².

Ninth Example

The ninth example is generally similar to the eighth example, exceptthat the evaporated gold pads are replaced with pads of sputtered gold.

Tenth Example

The tenth example is generally similar to the eighth example, exceptthat the evaporated gold pads are replaced with bumps of electroplatedgold, the bonding is performed at a temperature of 125° C., the cellpitch is 40 μm, and the bonding force is 0.0054 gf/μm².

Eleventh Example

The eleventh example is generally similar to the tenth example, exceptthat bumps of electroplated gold are bonded to pads of electroplatedgold.

Twelfth Example

The twelfth example is generally similar to the eleventh example, exceptthat the electroplated gold pads are replaced with pads of electrolessplated gold, and the bonding is performed at a temperature of 150° C.

Thirteenth Example

The thirteenth example is generally similar to the twelfth example,except that the electroless plated gold pads are replaced withelectroless plated gold bumps.

Fourteenth Example

The fourteenth example, bonding InAg bumps (10% Ag) to Ni pads, istypical of a room temperature bond (e.g. one at approximately 20° C.).The cell pitch is 20 μm and the bonding force is 0.0032 gf/μm². Thefollowing sequence is performed:

1. Substrate 1 is patterned with nickel contact pads using e.g. typicalindustry-standard bump plating or vacuum evaporation techniques.

2. Substrate 2 is patterned on one side with InAg (10% Ag) bumps. Theback side of the same substrate is patterned with nickel pads which areconnected to chip circuitry (with, for example, “through-silicon vias”(TSV)

3. Substrate 3 is fabricated in a manner similar to Substrate 2 (InAgbumps on one side and nickel pads on the other side.)

4. Atmospheric plasma treatment removes oxide from the nickel pads ofsubstrate 1 and then passivates them against re-oxidation.

5. Atmospheric plasma treatment removes oxide from the InAg bumps onsubstrate 2 and then passivates them against re-oxidation.

6. Substrate 1 and substrate 2 are placed face-to-face (InAg bump tonickel pad) in a flip-chip bonder, aligned, and bonded at roomtemperature with sufficient force to compress the InAg bumps into thenickel pads. Instant adhesion is achieved.

7. The bonded assembly of substrates 1 and 2 is removed from theflip-chip bonder and is treated with atmospheric plasma on the face-upside of former substrate 2 (nickel pads).

8. Substrate 3 is treated with atmospheric plasma on the InAg bump side.

9. Bonded substrate 1-2 and substrate 3 are placed face-to-face (InAgbump to nickel pad) in a flip-chip bonder, aligned, and bonded at roomtemperature with sufficient force to compress the InAg bumps ofsubstrate 3 into the nickel pads of substrate 2. Instant adhesion isachieved.

10. This procedure can be repeated for each subsequent chip to bestacked on the 3D structure. No reflow is required.

Fifteenth Example

The fifteenth example is generally similar to the fourteenth example,except that the nickel pads are replaced with bumps of InAg (10% Ag).

Sixteenth Example

The sixteenth example is generally similar to the fourteenth example,except that the bumps of InAg with 10% Ag are replaced with bumps ofInAg with 3% Ag, and the bonding force is 0.0021 gf/μm².

Seventeenth Example

The seventeenth example is generally similar to the sixteenth example,except that the nickel pads are replaced with bumps of InAg with 3% Ag.

Eighteenth Example

The eighteenth example is generally similar to the fourteenth example,except that the InAg bumps are replaced with bumps of indium, thereduction and passivation steps are simultaneous for the indium bumps,the cell pitch is 12 μm, and the bonding force is 0.0008 gf/μm².

Nineteenth Example

The nineteenth example is generally similar to the eighteenth example,except that the nickel pads are replaced with pads of gold, thereduction and passivation steps are simultaneous for the gold pads, andthe cell pitch is 20 μm.

Twentieth Example

The twentieth example is generally similar to the nineteenth example,except that the bonding is performed at a temperature of 90° C.

Twenty-First Example

The twenty-first example is generally similar to the nineteenth example,except that the gold pads are replaced with indium bumps, and the cellpitch is 5 μm.

Twenty-Second Example

The twenty-second example is generally similar to the twenty-firstexample, except that the bonding is performed at a temperature of 140°C.

Twenty-Third Example

In the twenty-third example, indium bumps are bonded to silver pads in abi-metallic alloy room temperature bond, as follows. The cell pitch is20 μm, and the bonding force is 0.0008 gf/μm²:

1. Substrate 1 is patterned with silver contact pads using typicalindustry-standard bump plating or vacuum evaporation techniques.

2. Substrate 2 is patterned on one side with indium bumps. The back sideof the same substrate is patterned with silver pads which are connectedto chip circuitry (with, for example, “through-silicon vias” (TSV).

3. Substrate 3 is fabricated in a manner similar to Substrate 2, with Inbumps on one side and Ag pads on the other side.

4. Atmospheric plasma treatment simultaneously removes oxide from the Agpads of substrate 1 and passivates them against re-oxidation.

5. Atmospheric plasma treatment simultaneously removes oxide from the Inbumps on substrate 2 and passivates them against re-oxidation.

6. Substrate 1 and substrate 2 are placed face-to-face, with In bump toAg pad, in a flipchip bonder, aligned, and bonded at room temperaturewith sufficient force to compress the In bumps into the Ag pads. Instantadhesion is achieved.

7. The bonded 1-2 assembly is removed from the flipchip bonder and istreated with atmospheric plasma on the face-up side of former substrate2 (Ag pads).

8. Substrate 3 is treated with atmospheric plasma on the In bump side.

9. Substrate 1-2 and substrate 3 are placed face-to-face (with In bumpto Ag pad) in a flipchip bonder, aligned, and bonded at room temperaturewith sufficient force to compress the In bumps of substrate 3 into theAg pads of substrate 2. Instant adhesion is achieved.

10. This procedure can be repeated for each subsequent chip to bestacked on the 3D structure.

11. When the last chip in the structure has been bonded in such afashion, the In—Ag bonds can be left to alloy by room-temperaturesolid-state diffusion (typically a few hours to a few days). The processcan be accelerated by increasing the temperature, for example, 4 hoursat 80° C., although many different time-temperature profiles can be useddepending upon the extent of alloying required and the thermal stabilityof the components themselves.

Twenty-Fourth Example

The twenty-fourth example is generally similar to the first example,except that the SnAg bumps are replaced with bumps of copper, thebonding is performed at a temperature of 300° C., the cell pitch is 10μm, and the bonding force is 0.0172 gf/μm².

Twenty-Fifth Example

The twenty-fifth example is generally similar to the twenty-fourthexample, except that copper bumps are bonded to copper bumps.

Twenty-Sixth Example

The twenty-sixth example is generally similar to the twenty-fourthexample, except that copper pads are bonded to copper pads.

Twenty-Seventh Example

The twenty-seventh example is generally similar to the first example,except that the copper pads are replaced with bumps of SnAg (3.5% Ag).

Twenty-Eighth Example

The twenty-eighth example is generally similar to the third example,except that the copper pads are replaced with copper bumps.

Twenty-Ninth Example

The twenty-ninth example is generally similar to the twenty-eighthexample, except that the copper bumps are replaced with bumps of SAC305.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that multiplecombinations of metals, oxide removal and passivation utilizingatmospheric plasma, and bonding parameters utilizing similar methods(whether heated or room temperature) are possible and should beconsidered within the scope of these inventions.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: Methods and systems for low-force, low-temperaturethermocompression bonding. The present application teaches new methodsand structures for three-dimensional integrated circuits, in which coldthermocompression bonding is used to provide reliable bonding. Toachieve this, reduction and passivation steps are preferably both usedto reduce native oxide on the contact metals and to prevent reformationof native oxide, preferably using atmospheric plasma treatments.Preferably the physical compression height of the elements is set to beonly enough to reliably achieve at least some compression of eachbonding element pair, compensating for any lack of flatness. Preferablythe thermocompression bonding is performed well below the melting point.This not only avoids the deformation of lower levels which is induced byreflow techniques, but also provides a steep relation of force versusz-axis travel, so that a drastically-increasing resistance tocompression helps to regulate the degree of thermocompression.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) directing plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure both to first contactingmetallizations on a first element and also to second contactingmetallizations on a second element, both to reduce native oxides fromsaid contacting metallizations and also to passivate said contactingmetallizations against re-oxidation; b) compressing said first andsecond contacting metallizations together, without any conductive liquidphase material, to thereby bond said second element to said firstelement; c) repeating said steps a) and b), to thereby bond contactingmetallizations on subsequent elements to contacting metallizations onthe previous element.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure: to reduce native oxides from thesurfaces of first contacting metallizations on a first element; topassivate the surfaces of said first contacting metallizations againstre-oxidation; to reduce native oxides from the surfaces of secondcontacting metallizations on a second element; and to passivate thesurfaces of said second contacting metallizations against re-oxidation;b) compressing said first and second contacting metallizations together,without any conductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond saidsecond element to said first element; c) repeating said steps a) and b),to thereby bond contacting metallizations on subsequent elements tocontacting metallizations on the previous element; wherein said step ofcompressing said first and second contacting metallizations togetherjoins one of said contacting metallizations which is of a first typetogether with another of said contacting metallizations which is of asecond type.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising:forming a plurality of elements respectively having contactingmetallizations both on a first side and also on a second side; formingat least one one-sided element having contacting metallizations on onlyone side; a) treating both first contacting metallizations on a firstelement and second contacting metallizations on a second element withplasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially atmosphericpressure; wherein said treating step reduces native oxides both fromsaid first and second contacting metallizations, and also inhibits oxidere-formation thereupon; b) aligning and contacting said first and secondcontacting metallizations, without any conductive liquid phase material,to thereby bond said first and second elements; and c) repeating saidsteps a) and b), to thereby bond the contacting metallizations onsubsequent elements to the contacting metallizations on the previouselement; wherein said step of contacting said first and secondcontacting metallizations together joins one of said contactingmetallizations which is of a first type together with another of saidcontacting metallizations which is of a second type; and repeating saidsteps a) and b), to thereby bond the contacting metallizations on anelement to the contacting metallizations on a one-sided element.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method of bonding microelectronic elements, comprising: a)using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantiallyatmospheric pressure: to reduce native oxides from contactingmetallization pads on one side of a first element; and to passivate saidcontacting metallization pads against re-oxidation; b) usingplasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially atmosphericpressure: to reduce native oxides from deformable contactingmetallization bumps on one side of a second element; and to passivatesaid deformable contacting metallization bumps against re-oxidation; c)compressing said deformable contacting metallization bumps and saidcontacting metallization pads together, without any conductive liquidphase material; wherein said compressing step compresses said deformablecontacting metallization bumps to a final height which is greater than60% of the initial height of said deformable contacting metallizationbumps; d) repeating said steps a), b), and c), to thereby bond thedeformable contacting metallization bumps on subsequent elements to thecontacting metallization pads on the previous element.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method of bonding microelectronic elements, comprising: a)using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantiallyatmospheric pressure: to reduce native oxides from first contactingmetallization pads on a first element; and to passivate said firstcontacting metallization pads against re-oxidation; b) usingplasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially atmosphericpressure: to reduce native oxides from deformable contactingmetallization bumps on one side of a second element; to passivate saiddeformable contacting metallization bumps against re-oxidation; toreduce native oxides from second contacting metallization pads on theother side of said second element; and to passivate said secondcontacting metallization pads against re-oxidation; c) compressing saiddeformable contacting metallization bumps and said first contactingmetallization pads together, without any conductive liquid phasematerial; d) repeating said steps b) and c), to thereby bond thedeformable contacting metallization bumps on subsequent elements to thecontacting metallization pads on the previous element.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) directing plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure both to first contactingmetallizations on a first element and also to second contactingmetallizations on a second element, both to reduce native oxides fromsaid contacting metallizations and also to passivate said contactingmetallizations against re-oxidation; b) compressing said first andsecond contacting metallizations together, without any conductive liquidphase material, to thereby bond said second element to said firstelement; c) repeating said steps a) and b), to thereby bond contactingmetallizations on subsequent elements to contacting metallizations onthe previous element; wherein said plasma-activated radical-enriched gasflow includes a population of helium metastable states.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) directing plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow tofirst contacting metallizations on a first side of a first element, tothereby reduce native oxides from said first contacting metallizationsand simultaneously inhibit oxide re-formation thereupon; b) directingplasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow to second contactingmetallizations on a first side of a second element, to thereby reducenative oxides from said second contacting metallizations andsimultaneously inhibit oxide re-formation thereupon; c) compressing saidfirst and second contacting metallizations together, without anyconductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond said second element tosaid first element; d) repeating said steps a), b), and c), therebybonding the contacting metallizations on subsequent elements to thecontacting metallizations on the previous element; wherein said step ofcompressing said first and second contacting metallizations togetherjoins one of said contacting metallizations which is of a first typetogether with another of said contacting metallizations which is of asecond type.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) directing plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure both to first contactingmetallizations on a first element and also simultaneously to secondcontacting metallizations on a second element, both to reduce nativeoxides from said contacting metallizations and also to passivate saidcontacting metallizations against re-oxidation; b) compressing saidfirst and second contacting metallizations together, without anyconductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond said second element tosaid first element; c) repeating said steps a) and b), to thereby bondcontacting metallizations on subsequent elements to contactingmetallizations on the previous element; wherein the metalliccompositions of said first and second contacting metallizations areessentially identical.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure: to reduce native oxides from thesurfaces of contacting metallizations on a first element; and topassivate the surfaces of said contacting metallizations againstre-oxidation; b) using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure: to reduce native oxides from thesurfaces of indium-based bumps on a second element; and to passivate thesurfaces of said indium-based bumps against re-oxidation; c) compressingsaid indium-based bumps and said contacting metallizations together,without any conductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond saidsecond element to said first element; d) repeating said steps a), b),and c), to thereby bond the indium-based bumps on subsequent elements tothe contacting metallizations on the previous element; wherein saidindium-based bumps are comprised of at least 80% atomic indium.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method of bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure: to reduce native oxides from contactmetallizations on a first element; and to passivate said contactmetallizations against re-oxidation; b) using plasma-activatedradical-enriched gas flow at substantially atmospheric pressure: toreduce native oxides from tin-based bumps on a second element; and topassivate said tin-based bumps against re-oxidation; c) compressing saidtin-based bumps and said contact metallizations together, without anyconductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond said second element tosaid first element; d) repeating said steps a), b), and c), to therebybond the tin-based bumps on subsequent elements to the contactmetallizations on the previous element; wherein said tin-based bumps arecomprised of at least 90% atomic tin.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure: to reduce native oxides from thesurfaces of first copper-based contacting metallizations on a first sideof a first element; and to passivate the surfaces of said firstcopper-based contact metallizations against re-oxidation; b) usingplasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially atmosphericpressure: to reduce native oxides from the surfaces of secondcopper-based contacting metallizations on a second element; and topassivate the surfaces of said second copper-based contactingmetallizations against re-oxidation; c) compressing said first andsecond copper-based contacting metallizations together, without anyconductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond said second element tosaid first element; d) repeating said steps a), b), and c), to therebybond copper-based contacting metallizations on subsequent elements tocopper-based contacting metallizations on the previous element.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A method for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising thesteps of: a) using plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure: to reduce native oxides from firstgold contacting metallizations on a first element; and to passivate saidfirst gold contacting metallizations against re-oxidation; b) usingplasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially atmosphericpressure: to reduce native oxides from second gold contactingmetallizations on a first side of a second element; and to passivatesaid second gold contacting metallizations against re-oxidation; c)compressing said first and second gold contacting metallizationstogether, without any conductive liquid phase material, to thereby bondsaid second element to said first element; d) repeating said steps a),b), and c), to thereby bond gold contacting metallizations on subsequentelements to gold contacting metallizations on the previous element.

According to some but not necessarily all embodiments, there isprovided: A system for bonding microelectronic elements, comprising: abonding platform for flip-chip bonding, configured to bond elements bycompressing them together, without any conductive liquid phase material,thereby deforming contacting metallizations by no more than 40% of theirinitial height; an atmospheric plasma applicator, integrated into saidbonding platform, which is configured to apply reducing and passivatingagents to said contacting metallizations on each said element, by use ofplasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially atmosphericpressure; wherein said reducing and passivating agents reduce nativeoxides from said contacting metallizations and passivate said contactingmetallizations against re-oxidation prior to bonding said element;wherein elements are loaded into said bonding platform and aligned forbonding, said atmospheric plasma applicator applies reducing andpassivation agents to the contacting metallizations on said elements,and then the elements are bonded.

MODIFICATIONS AND VARIATIONS

As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovativeconcepts described in the present application can be modified and variedover a tremendous range of applications, and accordingly the scope ofpatented subject matter is not limited by any of the specific exemplaryteachings given. It is intended to embrace all such alternatives,modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scopeof the appended claims.

Multiple combinations of metals, oxide removal and passivation utilizingatmospheric plasma, and bonding parameters utilizing similar methods(whether heated or room temperature) are possible and should beconsidered within the scope of these inventions.

The chip elements being 3D bonded by the methods of the presentapplication can be, but are not limited to, one or more of e.g. logicchips, high-voltage chips, light-emitting elements, photovoltaicelements, MEMs elements, a passive network, a redundant element, a powerswitch, and an analog interface. These can all have differing preferredsupply voltages and substrates, and so each can have differentadvantages.

In the presently-preferred embodiment, the rain faces of the flip-chipbonder are optically-polished silicon carbide with vacuum grooves forholding chips. However, in alternative embodiments, it is contemplatedthat this can be different.

In the presently-preferred embodiment, an extremely rigid mechanicalstructure is below the stack of chips being bonded, in which theparallelism is adjusted by spherical air-bearing release, move,lock-down. However, in alternative embodiments, it is contemplated thatthis can be different.

In the presently-preferred embodiments, the flip-chip bonder used is aSUSS FC150 Automated Flip Chip Bonder, which is presently commerciallyavailable from SET, but in some alternative embodiments, it isenvisioned that the specifics of the presently-preferred flip-chipbonder can be changed.

In the presently-preferred embodiment, a moving plasma generation headhas been used with controllable gas flows at atmospheric pressure. Thus,the activated gas flow at the surface of the element being prepared is aplasma afterglow, approximately 1 mm downstream from the glow dischargeitself. However, in alternative embodiments, it is contemplated that theresultant time delay from the edge of the glow discharge to the activesurface can be more or less than this.

In some embodiments, the contact can be e.g. a contact pad, or can bee.g. a contact bump or a contact pillar.

In some embodiments, bump metals can be alloyed with appropriate metalsto depress melting points, and thus depress hardness.

In some alternative embodiments, oxide removal and prevention ofregrowth can be accomplished by providing a controlled environmentaround the chips before and during bonding in order to reduce the oxideby chemical vapor or gas, and then inhibit the re-introduction of oxygento the surfaces during the bonding process.

In some alternative embodiments, the stated metallic compositions caninstead be similar or analogous alloys.

In some alternative embodiments, the copper pads can instead be e.g.aluminum.

While bond footprints are most preferably completely unvoidedfootprints, it will of course be understood that some imperfections canstill occur, and that these should still be considered within the scopeof the present inventions.

In some sample embodiments, the atmospheric plasma applicator can bee.g. a moving plasma applicator head operating under substantiallyambient atmospheric conditions.

In some sample embodiments, reducing and passivating agents can beapplied simultaneously by an atmospheric plasma applicator, or they canalternatively be applied sequentially.

In some sample embodiments, the atmospheric plasma head can be compactenough that it can be integrated directly into the flip-chip bonder.While not required for the process to work, this can enable more rapidpick-and-place-like operation with brief insertion of atmosphericsurface treatment of the bonding surfaces immediately before each bond.

The final height of the bumps is preferably greater than e.g. 60% oftheir initial height, and is more preferably greater than e.g. 70% theirinitial height.

Note that bump size is not limited on the small end of the scale (e.g.5-10 μm in diameter). This is because the bumps are not melted duringcompression and therefore do not exhibit the typical oversqueezetendencies seen with melted solder bonding.

Processes in which the bumps are Sn or SnAg or SnAgCu or similar oranalogous alloys most preferably occur at bonding temperatures of e.g.175° C., but can less preferably occur at bonding temperatures in therange of e.g. 170-225° C.

Processes using bumps of In or InAg or similar or analogous alloys aremost preferably performed at room temperature (e.g. controlledtemperatures of 20-25° C.), but can less preferably be performed atcontrolled temperatures of 10-30° C., and even less preferably in therange of 10-150° C.

Bumps of InAg alloy are preferably e.g. 0-10% Ag, and even morepreferably e.g. 5% Ag. The added silver content can be increased toincrease the melting temperature, but this must be balanced with theresultant increase in hardness.

In some alternative embodiments, de-oxidation of copper can be performedin a reduction-only atmosphere (e.g. H and He only).

In some embodiments, reduction and passivation treatments can besimultaneous or can be sequential (e.g. reduction followed bypassivation).

In one sample embodiment, tin bumps can be bonded to copper contacts.

In some alternative embodiments using copper bumps, it is envisionedthat the copper can be alloyed with another metal to depress the meltingpoint of the copper bumps, and thus increase its compressibility atlower temperatures.

In some sample embodiments, bumps of Sn, SnAg, SnAgCu, or other leadlesssolders can be bonded to copper, gold, or an identical or differentleadless solder.

In some sample embodiments, indium bumps can be bonded to indium contactbumps.

In some alternative embodiments, gold bumps can be topologically similarto pads, depending on the method of deposition.

In some alternative embodiments, gold pads can have a thickness which ise.g. 10% of their width.

Depending on the metallic compositions of the bumps and the contacts,different atmospheric plasma compositions can be appropriate fortreatments of the bumps and the contacts.

Atmospheric plasma treatment of the two chip elements being bonded canbe at different times, or can alternatively be simultaneous if the bumpsand contact pads have essentially the same metallic composition, inwhich case the atmospheric plasma treatment most preferably uses ascanning plasma head. The atmospheric plasma treatment beingsimultaneously applied can be simultaneous reduction and passivation, orcan alternatively be reduction followed by passivation.

In some alternative embodiments, the bumps and contacts can be e.g.bumps, pads, or pillars, identically or in any operable combination.

In some alternative embodiments, the metals or metal alloys can bereplaced with similar or analogous alloys.

In the presently-preferred embodiments, the total bonding force appliedto a pair of chips can be e.g. on the order of 1-50 kgf, depending one.g. bump size and material systems, but in alternative embodiments, itis envisioned that different total bonding forces can be applied asappropriate.

While the final compressed height of bumps is most preferablyapproximately 75% of initial height, in some alternative embodiments,final bump height can be as low as e.g. 20% of initial bump height. Thiscan be preferable for embodiments having coarser cell pitches.

A practitioner skilled in the science of metallurgy and contactdeposition will have a broad range of choices depending upon themetallurgical, thermal and mechanical boundary conditions of theparticular application.

None of the description in the present application should be read asimplying that any particular element, step, or function is an essentialelement which must be included in the claim scope: THE SCOPE OF PATENTEDSUBJECT MATTER IS DEFINED ONLY BY THE ALLOWED CLAIMS. Moreover, none ofthese claims are intended to invoke paragraph six of 35 USC section 112unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle.

The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, andNO subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, orabandoned.

1-23. (canceled)
 24. A method for bonding microelectronic elements,comprising the steps of: a) directing plasma-activated radical-enrichedgas flow at substantially atmospheric pressure both to first contactingmetallizations on a first element and also to second contactingmetallizations on a second element, both to reduce native oxides fromsaid contacting metallizations and also to passivate said contactingmetallizations against re-oxidation; b) compressing said first andsecond contacting metallizations together, without any conductive liquidphase material, to thereby bond said second element to said firstelement; c) repeating said steps a) and b), to thereby bond contactingmetallizations on subsequent elements to contacting metallizations onthe previous element; wherein said first contacting metallizations aremade essentially of silver. 25-46. (canceled)
 47. A method for bondingmicroelectronic elements, comprising the steps of: a) usingplasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow at substantially atmosphericpressure: to reduce native oxides from the surfaces of first contactingmetallizations on a first element; to passivate the surfaces of saidfirst contacting metallizations against re-oxidation; to reduce nativeoxides from the surfaces of second contacting metallizations on a secondelement; and to passivate the surfaces of said second contactingmetallizations against re-oxidation; b) compressing said first andsecond contacting metallizations together, without any conductive liquidphase material, to thereby bond said second element to said firstelement; c) repeating said steps a) and b), to thereby bond contactingmetallizations on subsequent elements to contacting metallizations onthe previous element; wherein said step of compressing said first andsecond contacting metallizations together joins one of said contactingmetallizations which is of a first type together with another of saidcontacting metallizations which is of a second type; wherein contactingmetallizations of said first type are made essentially of silver. 48-67.(canceled)
 68. A method for bonding microelectronic elements,comprising: forming a plurality of elements respectively havingcontacting metallizations both on a first side and also on a secondside; forming at least one one-sided element having contactingmetallizations on only one side; a) treating both first contactingmetallizations on a first element and second contacting metallizationson a second element with plasma-activated radical-enriched gas flow atsubstantially atmospheric pressure; wherein said treating step reducesnative oxides both from said first and second contacting metallizations,and also inhibits oxide re-formation thereupon; b) aligning andcontacting said first and second contacting metallizations, without anyconductive liquid phase material, to thereby bond said first and secondelements; and c) repeating said steps a) and b), to thereby bond thecontacting metallizations on subsequent elements to the contactingmetallizations on the previous element; wherein said step of contactingsaid first and second contacting metallizations together joins one ofsaid contacting metallizations which is of a first type together withanother of said contacting metallizations which is of a second type; andrepeating said steps a) and b), to thereby bond the contactingmetallizations on an element to the contacting metallizations on aone-sided element; wherein contacting metallizations of said first typeare made essentially of silver. 69-253. (canceled)